Escaped accused re-arrested; 2 cops suspended

Madurai: A 27-year-old accused arrested in a property damage case escaped from police custody at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital on Tuesday. Police have arrested him within hours.Police identified the accused as Alex Samraj of Parappadi. He was booked by Vijaynarayanam police on Sunday for causing damage to properties. Since he was undergoing treatment at the hospital, police arrested him there and kept him under security watch.Police said the accused escaped after seeking permission to use a toilet on the hospital premises. Based on a complaint lodged by a head constable, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital police registered a case. Police teams launched searches and secured him again within a short time.Following the incident, two head constables assigned to prisoner security duty were placed under suspension for lapses in monitoring the accused while he was under custody.